Miranda Jones and the Mundi Magicae
by kittycatcego
Summary: Miranda Jones is an ordinary girl, until an owl and mysterious visitor open her up to the wonderful world of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her new home will not only teach her things she never could dream of, but will lead her to discover parts of herself and her family she never knew. OC but the vast majority is JK Rowling's with a twist. First story in ages so please review!
1. Chapter 1: A Letter Arrives

**Hi everyone! It's been a ridiculously long time since I've been on this site, let alone published anything. However I've been re-watching and re-reading the Harry Potter series and also finally joined Pottermore and this ****story came to me. I'm super excited about it so please let me know what you think! It's set in the new generation's time, so although all our usual pals will make appearances you'll be seeing more of the new kids. **

**Disclaimer: The world I'm using is sadly not my own, it's all the marvellous work of a J.K. Rowling whose brain I wish I could steal (or at the very least whose world I'd like to enter). **

**Chapter 1: A Letter Arrives**

Miranda Jones didn't know what had happened. Everything had been going so wonderfully until then: the eggs were getting stiff, the colouring looked nice, the sprinkles were organized by shape and size. But she had to have calculated wrong, and she was usually so good at that!

Her happy Friday evening at home was ruined by a cake. She didn't really need the cake, she supposed, but it was going to be such a confectionary creation that it saddened her to see it sliding into the trash. How on earth had her pretty vanilla sponge gone pepper-flavoured? Mirabella just had to walk in right as she was taking it out, it was necessary for her to be so infuriating, it was destiny for Miranda to snap, and the cake had been the victim.

"I hate you!" she yelled, "you ruin everything!". She raced upstairs, slamming the periwinkle blue door as she entered fast as lightning into her room and immediately calming down when she sighted the fluffy clouds painted on her ceiling. She lay down on her fluffy down comforter and promptly floated into sleep.

_Tap, tap, tap. Tappity tap tap. CRACK! _

She shot up, abruptly awoken by the glass shattering onto her bed. The sunlight was just starting to crest the hill, silhouetting the winged figure at her window. The girl shrunk back; resting against the wall as she braced herself for attack, mind whirring with ideas for escape or defence.

_"__Hoot, hoot". _It was an owl! The stupid thing was a bird! But what was in its mouth? The shadowy night-time visitor dropped the white envelope in her lap and peered curiously at her, clearly waiting for something in return. Cautiously, she patted the feathered creature, which cooed and flew out. Her attention returned to the missive.

The bird had brought a thick and creamy envelope sealed the old-fashioned way with wax and addressed in brilliant violet ink:

Miranda A. Jones

Hortense Lane, 7

Whittower, England

Where had it come from? There was no return address and no postage stamp, logically, as it had not arrived in the ordinary mail. She turned it over in her hands until finally there was nothing left to do but open it.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_Dear Miss Jones,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at __Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry__. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on __1 September__. We await your owl by no later than __31 July__._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress_

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_UNIFORM_

_First-year students will require:_

_1\. Three sets of plain work __robes__ (black)_

_2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_3\. One pair of protective gloves (__dragon__ hide or similar)_

_4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

_COURSE BOOKS_

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells__ (Grade 1)_

_by __Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic_

_by __Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory_

_by __Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_

_by __Emeric Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

_by __Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions_

_by __Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

_by __Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

_by __Quentin Trimble_

_OTHER EQUIPMENT_

_1 __wand_

_1 __cauldron__ (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set glass or crystal phials_

_1 __telescope_

_1 set __brass scales_

_Students may also bring, if they desire, an __owl__ OR a __cat__ OR a __toad__._

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS_

_ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN __BROOMSTICK_

Miranda gaped at the letter, there were so many unfamiliar terms and new ideas within it, what was Hogwarts? Witchcraft, wizardry? She needed a wand? So many questions spitting out and no one to answer them. She was just normal Miranda Jones, Mirabella Jones' younger, weirder sister, daughter of two teachers, Albert and Louise.

It had to be a joke, some creative idea of Mirabella's, though she was slightly surprised by the amount of thought her sister must have put into the joke, coming up with names like Hogwarts and McGonagall. Did she even know what a phial was? Resolutely Miranda put the note down on her bedside table, determined to pretend it had never arrived so as to not give her sibling the satisfaction of seeing her annoyed.

Suddenly a thought struck, where and how had her sister found an owl to give her the letter? That was far too complicated a stunt. Right at that moment there was a knock at the front door.


	2. Chapter 2: Muggles

**Alright, so chapter two! I'm sorry my chapters are so short, I'll try and work on making them longer. But in the meantime I'll make sure to upload fairly frequently. Hope you find this interesting, it's how I picture the Muggle-born finding out about it all. By the way, if you read this I'd love to know what you think. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly the world we are playing in is the work of a certain J.K. Rowling, not my own.**

**Chapter 2: Muggles**

Startled, Miranda listened as her parents answered the door, their exclamations of surprise at being woken at such an early hour and the eventual murmur of conversation. At that point she crept from her room and down the hallway to the top of the stairs.

Peering out she stared fascinated at the scene below. It was a comical sight; it had to be a joke. A woman dressed rather outrageously in shockingly colourful robes was talking casually to the Jones couple; she even had a bright purple pointy hat! All at once Miranda heard her name being spoken.

"What did you just say?" she called out "What's going on?"

"Ah, Miranda, good morning sweetheart. This lady has come calling for you. Would you care to join us?" her father replied.

Slowly, and carefully, she climbed downstairs, never taking her eyes off the strange visitor, who only seemed to turn into more of an eyesore as she approached. Finally she looked up to find a pair of friendly green eyes. "Hello there Miranda. I'm Cassandra Cogsworth, how d'you do?" "Hello ma'am, where are you from? How do you know my name?" the girl inquired, "Save your breath dearie, let me explain now". They sat down on the couch, although the lady remained standing.

"I expect you must have got the letter by now, so maybe some of this is familiar to you Miranda. I've come from Hogwarts, and I'm here to show you something you've likely never seen before. You see Hogwarts is a school for people like you."

"Like me? But the letter said witchcraft and wizardry! I don't even believe in magic!"

At this exclamation her parents turned to look at her intrigued, "You've heard of this Hogwarts, Miranda? What is this letter you're speaking of?". "It got here this morning, I though it was one of Mirabella's silly jokes, I just didn't know how she'd found the owl!"

Cassandra waited patiently during this brief exchange but then continued her speech: "Ah, you say you don't believe in magic and of course you don't, we aren't allowed to have you Muggles knowing anything about it. The thing is that we've detected magic in you, that's why you've been accepted to the school. I'm sure it's hard to believe, but just think like this. Haven't you ever accidentally made things happen? Wished something or got angry and all of a sudden some inexplicable event happens? That's because you've got it, magic I mean, and we want to show you how to use it."

Miranda's mouth dropped open, mimicking the expressions on her parents' faces as she thought back on all those strange events. After all just the day before she'd changed an already baked cake by being annoyed! Gradually her mother absorbed all this information, then opened her mouth to ask, "But how does one pay for such a school? We can't afford a very expensive place!"

"Ah not to worry, you see we've just recently started a new program. We've got scholarships for students such as yourself; they'll cover all your supplies for the next few years. We'll just have to assign you a vault. In fact, I'm here to figure out all the necessary arrangements. That's my job!"

After some convincing the Jones agreed to take their daughter to London in a few weeks time, so long as she agreed, that she might commence her initiation into this strange new world of magic. Although, they scarcely believed in the story themselves, half-expecting to wake up soon and relay this extraordinary dream.


	3. Chapter 3: Magic Money

**So here's chapter three! I'm aware it's been kind of slow going at the moment, but I swear it does get more exciting. For now I leave you with the excitement of returning to Diagon Alley, the street I'm sure would be the most popular in London, if it existed of course. I also just today discovered that there was a reason why Cogsworth seemed to be such a well-sounding name. Anyone know the reference? **

**P.S. If you're following the story/just came across it, I'd love to know what you think! **

**Disclaimer: Sadly the world of Harry Potter is property of J.K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing it for the time being. **

**Chapter 3: Magic Money**

The weeks passed slowly for Miranda, who was now extremely excited by the prospect of this mysterious schooling she was going to undertake. Once she had got past the initial shock, and it had all turned out to be real, not some massively creative prank or imagining, she frequently found herself trying to conjure an image of what wizard classes would be like. Though she was certain nothing quite so outrageous as what she pictured could be true.

At last the day arrived, she woke up early so as to triple-check she had packed everything she might need. She had already said her goodbyes to her pen friend the day before, saying that she was going to be moving to a boarding school and would send the address as soon as she could. Although she wasn't even sure she would have a new address for letters to arrive at. At least not through ordinary mail. She would miss her pal. They had been corresponding for years, after one of Miranda's favourite teachers had passed on the mailing information, seeing how little Miranda related to her classmates. Sadly that teacher had left the school the following year so the girl had never been able to properly thank him for his kind deed.

Miranda lugged her things downstairs and was surprised to see that Ms Cogsworth was already there. Then the time came for Miranda to say goodbye to her parents, as they were not allowed into this strange world she was going to. Amazingly even Mirabella came to see her off, and with a half-hearted hug there was nothing to do but leave. Slightly scared Miranda looked up at the, still brilliantly clad, woman beside her and took the offered arm. _Whoooosh!_

Her heart leapt up into her throat as they suddenly appeared in front of a singularly ugly pub. "_The Leaky Cauldron. _What a strange name, no?" she asked, "Why are we at a pub anyway? I thought we were going to the bank. "Quite right, but we aren't going to any ordinary bank. Follow me and you'll see." With that the witch stepped inside the run-down tavern, passing by the low rumbling of the patrons sitting inside and shouting out a greeting to the waitress behind the bar, she led Miranda through an old wooden door and into a small bricked patio. Once there Cassandra smiled down at the girl before pulling out a small wooden stick and tapping out a pattern on the wall.

All at once, the bricks seemed to disintegrate before their very eyes, allowing passage into a bustling street filled with people in outfits similar to Miranda's guide's. In fact, Miranda was the one who stuck out as she gazed at the sight. The buildings all seemed crooked and ill-aligned and of an old-timey thatched style, quite out of place with the steel and chrome finish of most of the buildings in London. This was further accentuated by the hubbub of hooting owls and racing cats and people hustling about with baskets on their arms and pointed hats on their heads.

Miranda and Ms. Cogsworth slowly moved ahead until the latter finally exclaimed, "Ah there we are now, Gringotts." when in view of a majestically large building of marble and emerald finishings. "This is the wizarding bank you see, the most secure in the world thanks to the goblins who run it. In fact only twice has somebody taken something that wasn't theirs and lived to tell the tale…"

They passed the foyer and into a great room no less impressive than the outside of the building. Miranda stared, impressed by the weighing of flashing gold and silver coins and scratching of bright quills on parchment, at which point they stepped up to a counter where a quite small and pointy-toothed being inquired: "How may I help you today?" "We've come to open one of the scholarship vaults for Hogwarts. Under the name of Miranda Jones, please." "Under whose authority? I also need the key." At this the witch peered into her bag until she found a tiny silver thing, "here you go, I'm Cassandra Cogsworth, Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts, although I have a letter from the headmistress here." Taking the key and the offered envelope the goblin then rang a bell, at which point another of the small creatures took the key and led the two customers away. "Vault 756 Grapplehook, remember?"

A nod to the affirmative and they were then ushered into a small metal cart on a track, reminiscent of a mining platform. Although the complex system they saw as they whizzed by was nothing so straightforward, in fact scarcely a few seconds into their journey Miranda was hopelessly turned around, and dizzy. "We keep it this way on purpose. Not good for anyone to know their way around our vaults if you know what I mean." the goblin piped up, seeming to have read her thoughts. "Here we are, vault 756. Key at the ready ma'am."

The two then twisted and opened the locks to the large metal door that barred their path. The door swung open, revealing a small dark bricked room, filled with the shimmering and glinting of stacked coins in the lamplight. "This is all for me?" Miranda finally managed, "but I'm on scholarship! How is this even possible?" She took a closer look at the money, realizing that she didn't recognise any of the symbols on them. "What are these anyway? They aren't ordinary pounds." "Oh, of course, here let me see. This here is a galleon, the most valuable of the lot. Then it's the sickle, there's 17 sickles to a galleon. Last but not least you've got 29 knuts to a sickle. Easy right?"

With a nod, Miranda was then given a small bag of the different coloured coins and told she need only ask when more was necessary.


	4. Chapter 4: Buying Supplies

**I have to admit this is one of my favourite chapters, though don't worry we will actually be going to Hogwarts soon! As always, I'd love to know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: Much as I love it I'm just borrowing J.K. Rowling's world of Harry Potter**

**Chapter 4: Buying Supplies**

Now that the girl had wizard money in her pocket it was time to venture out into, what her companion had called _Diagon Alley_. She glanced at the list that had come enclosed in the letter that had started it all. "Can we buy the books first? I want to see what they're like!" she said excited. Bemused the Transfiguration professor glanced down at her, "Certainly, just take the list up to the counter and they'll get you sorted. In the meanwhile let me just run a quick errand."

Once her load of books had been packed and charged the two met outside to go and get her robes, since Ms Cogsworth had already picked up the cauldron and other supplies. At the clothing shop Miranda was promptly measured by a tape, which efficiently curled around her body and then assisted the wizard getting down the necessary boxes. It was going to be rather strange to wear such odd garments Miranda thought.

Afterwards the pair meandered down the alley, passing a store advertising puffer-fish eyes and essence of dittany to stop in front of the so-called "Owl Emporium and Magical Menagerie". Ms Cogsworth then said "I'm not sure whether you fancy a pet or not my dear, although I always find them to be quite a comfort. Owls are very useful creatures as they will take your messages for you but why don't you wander in and see what catches your eye."

When Miranda entered the store the raucous sound of hooting and meowing greeted her. She looked into the different cages that people were oohing and aahing at until she found herself in a somewhat abandoned corner of the shop. At that point a timid meow greeted her as she spotted two brilliant blue eyes, not unlike her own, peeking out at her. Approaching she could see it was a small cat with darkly coloured paws, face and tail and whose creamy body was dotted by a matching set of spots. "Oh you're quite the little leopard aren't you sweetie? But what are you doing in this spot all alone?" determined she picked up the cage the animal was housed in and took it to the front counter. "I'd like this one please." "Are you certain?" the clerk answered surprised, "that one's quite the little wildcat you see, scratched anyone who's ever gone near it. In fact I'm quite surprised you even managed to bring it here!" Startled Miranda glanced back at the cat, that had curled up and stared back at her serenely. "She seems quite well-behaved to me. I would like to have her." And so she got her new pet.

Finally it was time for the last thing on the list: a wand. Teacher and student approached a shabby shop-front over which a sign announced the work of a Mr Ollivander. Once inside they were greeted by the tingling of a bell and called-out hello. A middle-aged man with amazingly bright eyes came to the counter, "Good morning. You've come for a wand I presume? You know the drill go ahead and try one out, though I might suggest this one: Elmwood and unicorn hair." Swiftly he held out a slim wand, indicating that the girl give it a swish. This was disastrous as the flying pencils soon demonstrated. Abruptly Miranda dropped it. "Ah no, no I see that was quite the wrong choice. Perhaps this will be better, holly and dragon heartstring, flexible." The result was just as bad as with the first attempt. "Oh, I've got it!" the wandmaker shouted at last, tugging out yet another box, "Give this a whirl!" he ordered. Obediently, Miranda took the wand and flourished it, expecting nothing different to the last few tries, yet this time beautiful blue sparks tinkled out of the tip. "Aha! Quite good, holly and phoenix feather, fourteen and a half inches, a bit stiff but just depends on how you use it. I'm intrigued to see what you will do with it."

Miranda looked at the wand in his hand, remembering how it had felt to touch its smooth surface. Her final purchase done she then realised, she had a wand, and there was no turning back now: she was going to be a witch.


	5. Chapter 5: Scarlet Steam

**Hello again! I was hoping to post this yesterday but sadly fan fiction decided I wasn't allowed. We're going to have our first sightings of familiar characters today so I hope you enjoy this chapter! I promise my chapters are getting longer so patience please. As always, I'd love to get some feedback!**

**Disclaimer: Alas the world of Harry Potter is property of a certain JK Rowling and not my own. **

**Chapter 5: Scarlet Steam**

When Miranda opened her eyes the next morning so as to see creaky wooden beams and a strange floral-patterned bedspread that actually smelled like the roses pictured on it, she was surprised to realise she had been smiling in her sleep. The previous day had been real. There were her textbooks with such odd names, the new robes, her own wand, and of course her new animal friend.

She had decided to name the beautiful but strange cat Aoife (pronounced Eefa) after the story she remembered her mother telling her when she was younger. It was an old Irish legend that told how the warrior princess of the same name had lost a battle against Cuchulainn but at length won his heart. It seemed appropriate considering the stately serenity of her pet.

Once washed and dressed Miranda made her way downstairs to join Ms Cogsworth for breakfast, as they had arranged the night before. The girl was pleased to see that the breakfast options were mostly ordinary, although she did get to try "The Leaky Cauldron's special brew", which mostly seemed to consist in a warmly spiced pumpkin cider.

By and by it came time to leave, and it was at this point that Miranda finally ventured to ask the question she had been pondering for quite some time, "How do I get to Hogwarts? Where is it?" Cassandra laughed as she realised the issue had never been brought up, "Why on the Hogwarts Express of course, although I fear I'll have to leave you at the station a bit early. Have to make sure all the scholarship students have been well taken care of by the other teachers!"

Although the answer was meant to assuage Miranda she found it only increased her intrigue. What was a Hogwarts Express? What sort of station did it leave from? Did it fly? These were only some of the questions that came up, however never a prying girl and still somewhat in awe of her guide she contented herself with the thought that she would know in a few short hours.

Imagine her surprise when they arrived at King's Cross Station and ran through the barrier onto the infamous Platform 9 and ¾, so as to discover that there was nothing magical at all. It was an ordinary train, albeit one decked in brilliant scarlet red and rich deep black. Just as she had warned, Professor Cogsworth, who had told Miranda that was to be her title while at the school, had to run off, leaving the bewildered girl to see to her luggage being stowed and somehow make it onto the train with her cat in her arms.

Having arrived fairly early she was able to pick an empty compartment, at which point she proceeded to watch all the commotion on the platform. She saw a fair army of redheads arrive and joyously greet each other, just as their parents seemed to enjoy the meeting. Teary goodbyes from families and happy hellos to old friends seemed to fill the scene, whilst owl cages and trunks and capes and things were all loaded onto the train. The sight started to make Miranda feel home-sick, as she felt the knot of nerves in her stomach tighten. All those students seemed to know exactly what to do and where they were meant to be, while she hadn't even known of this world until a month ago!

Luckily, just as the emotions were threatening to tumble out and drown her, the door to her compartment slid open. She watched as a timid looking boy and smart seeming girl clambered in, after asking Miranda if she didn't mind the company as it was the only compartment left.

Soon after there was a great whistle and with a whoosh of steam the gleaming train began its journey.


	6. Chapter 6: Hogwarts Houses

**Hi everybody! I know I took a bit longer to upload this and sorry! My classes for this new semester have just started this week os I've been pretty busy. Well I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm particularly proud of a certain song I came up with. What do you all think?**

**Chapter 6: Hogwarts Houses**

The train ride was very pleasant once all the introductions had been made. The boy and girl were Albus Potter and Rose Weasley respectively and the two cousins had proceeded to fill Miranda's head with so much information about the wizarding world that she could scarcely believe it was all true. Thankfully the wave of nostalgia and homesickness had been fended off with her new friends cheery manner and interesting knowledge.

Once such example was that of the four different Hogwarts Houses. Both of the two hoped to continue in their family's footsteps and be sorted into Gryffindor, although Albus confessed his father had told him that it didn't matter if he was sorted into another house. Notwithstanding he still crossed his fingers for the house of the lion. The children had tried to explain to Miranda how the Sorting went, but the idea of a talking and mindreading hat just seemed too preposterous, nevertheless knowing that it didn't matter if you weren't from a wizard family or not was a great comfort to the girl.

It seemed all too soon when it was time for them to change into their robes and disembark. Miranda followed her two train friends as they settled behind a simply enormous bear-like man, who both referred to affectionately as Uncle Hagrid, and later into some magicked rowboats, which fascinated the inquisitive girl until something much grander came into view. The magnificent castle that rose up before her eyes was like something out of a dream or fairy-tale. "Welcome to Hogwarts first-years!" bellowed Hagrid from his boat at the lead "The castle had to be rebuilt a few years ago but ain't it a beauty?"

Miranda agreed whole-heartedly, it seemed too extraordinary to imagine herself living and studying here for the next few years. How had she got so lucky?

The first-years stepped off the boats and gathered behind the caretaker in a disorganised huddle, awed by the construction above them. At this moment Professor Cogsworth arrived, "Hello children. As you will get tired of hearing, welcome to Hogwarts, your new home. We are going to go to the Great Hall for dinner, but first you must be sorted. There are four houses here at Hogwarts, named after the founders of the school: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Your house is important, as they will become your family throughout your years here, but don't worry it will all be explained soon enough. Follow me please, in a line now."

With this brief speech she then proceeded to lead the children up an imposing staircase and through a grand wooden door, at which point they entered a magnificent hall. The ceiling looked like the night-time sky with shooting stars and shining planets, further accentuated by the thousands of candles that floated above the scene. However, what most impressed Miranda were the enormously long wooden tables, at which sat a seemingly massive number of students, they were being lead between. She whipped her head round trying to take it all in, stumbling into Albus as the line ground to a halt in front of a small wooden stool.

All at once the room fell silent, as Professor Cogsworth set a tattered brown hat onto the stool. Amazed the girl watched as the Sorting Hat began its song:

_If what you desire_

_Is to know where to be_

_It's nothing but to inquire_

_And ask it of me_

_Place me on your head_

_And I'll see your mind_

_Once you've been read_

_You'll be placed with your kind_

_Perhaps you are a Gryffindor_

_The gallant and the brave_

_Those who you can call for_

_And they'll come to save the day_

_Perchance your home is Ravenclaw_

_Those of strong mind and wit_

_No matter the result of the draw_

_They'll win and never quit_

_Maybe you belong in Hufflepuff_

_Patient workers, loyal too_

_For them it is quite enough_

_To be kind, no matter who to_

_That brings us to the option of fair Slytherin_

_Cunning and full of ambition_

_If you're both you'll sure fit in_

_No worry, nor doubt nor suspicion_

_No fear my friend for as you see_

_There is no need to doubt_

_You'll be a part of Hogwarts_

_No matter which your house_

_At end I simply wish to say _

_Though pretty I am not, not that_

_I'll put you with your friends today_

_And then you'll bless your Sorting Hat!_

Amid the thunderous applaud that erupted a clear call came: "Ansari, Annabel" and the Sorting started. Slowly the first-years were called up and then received by their house. It soon was Miranda's turn, and so as "Jones, Miranda" was called out she was ushered up to the stool and the brown hat was placed atop her. The experience was quite strange as she felt the hemming and hawing of the Hat as it looked within her, commenting every now and then on some memory or thought. All of a sudden it seemed to see something that made it decide: "RAVENCLAW!" it shouted out.

Miranda was then rushed from her seat as she was taken to her new house's table and greeted from all sides. She watched wistfully as Albus and then Rose were both sent to Gryffindor, until the Sorting was done.

At this point a formidable looking woman who introduced herself as Headmistress McGonagall stood up and after a few warnings and rule reminders, including a stern look at Albus' older brother James, announced the beginning of the feast.


	7. Chapter 7: Ravenclaw

**Hello! Sorry I've been so MIA, also ****just ****wanted to point out that I'm aware that Neville and Luna didn't actually get married, it was just hinted at in the last movie, but I love the couple so much I couldn't leave it the Pottermore way! Hope you like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: The magical world of Harry Potter is regrettably not mine but belongs to a certain JK Rowling. **

**Chapter 7: Ravenclaw**

Luckily for Miranda she ended up sitting next to several talkative students, some of the new first-years mixed in with second and third years. It was fun getting to know her housemates over the spectacular and abundant food that was placed before them, so it seemed no time had passed when she was stuffed and scraping at the last of her bowl of pudding.

Since everyone seemed to be done the prefect, who said his name was Charlie Chang, lead all the first-years out of the great hall in search of the dormitories. This was their first sighting of the rest of the school and the grand staircases that swivelled and moved, surrounded by equally mobile portraits and paintings were amazing to behold. The prefect guided them up the spiral staircase and to the western tower. At the top he showed them how the eagle knocker presented a riddle to which they must answer so as to enter. "I am the beginning of the end, the end of every place. I am the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I?"

The answer given, the door swung open to reveal what he called the common room. It was a circular room, appropriate to its being placed in a tower. There was a crackling hearth at one edge, next to which stood an impressive marble statue, and teal cosy-looking armchairs were scattered across the room. The best part though was the ceiling, across which dozens of birds seemed to fly, and from which dangled a silver, bronze and blue banner with the Ravenclaw crest emblazoned upon it.

"Girl's dormitories are up this staircase. Boys go this way." Charlie pointed out. "Your things have already been brought up so I suggest you go ahead and get to bed." Miranda didn't need to be told twice. She trooped up the stairs and followed three other girls into a splendid room with several four-poster beds, settling into the bed on which Aoife was curled. She had no sooner as shut her eyes that she was asleep.

Miranda's dreams that night were odd, strangely vivid visions of falling leaves and galloping hooves floating across her mind, so much so that upon waking, her head ache. Thankfully her spotted cat slept arched by her side, and the touch of the silky soft fur soon soothed Miranda's pains. Her dorm mates were slowly stirring and the girls endeavoured to introduce themselves.

"Hi there! I'm Amaryllis Longbottom, but everyone calls me Lis." said the blonde girl in the corner with the slightly dazed look in her eyes. "Good morning, My name is Belinda Cragsley." came from the petite redhead in the other bed. "Hello, I'm Erika Magrit Lane. Erika is fine though." was the last of them, whose glinting green eyes hinted at a mischievous nature. Once the introductions had been made, and they had all cooed over Aoife's gorgeous coat, the girls proceeded to make their way to breakfast, chattering the whole way.

The food was delicious again, but they were all distracted by the arrival of their lesson plans. "All our classes are with the Gryffindors!" uttered the girls, "I thought they always had class with Slytherin." commented Lis. "They always have" piped in one of the older students who had overheard "but last year both houses apparently complained so much that McGonagall got tired of it and decided a change was in order. About time is what I say!" Miranda shrugged at the girls, "Well, I'm sure it will be fine." Inside though she was secretly pleased, she'd be able to see her friends from the train!


	8. Chapter 8: Class Clown

**I'm sorry I've been updating so spastically, the new semester has started so I'm a smidgen busier than when I started posting, but no worries, for once in my life I actually have the whole story planned out. Just need to finish writing it! As always, enjoy and review please!**

**Disclaimer: If you recognise it, it's probably property of JK Rowling, sadly. **

**Chapter 8: Class Clown**

The moment had arrived. She was finally going to learn magic! Miranda was so excited the morning of her first lessons she positively bounced down to breakfast, much to the amusement of her friends. In fact, the anticipation was so great that she hardly touched her food, having to leave the creamy scrambled eggs cold on her plate.

Their first class that day was Transfiguration, with the ever-interesting Professor Cogsworth. The girls chased after Miranda as she fairly raced to the room, choosing seats near the front. Gradually the remainder of the class filtered in, settling down with the nervous chatter of students their first day, although a hush fell over the room when the teacher's bright skirts swept into the room.

"Good morning class", she announced. "Welcome to Transfiguration! Can anyone tell me what that is?", half a dozen hands shot up on the Ravenclaw side of the room, although Miranda also spotted Rose's raised arm. "It's the branch of magic that focuses on the alteration of the form or appearance of an object, via the alteration of the object's molecular structure" stated one of the boys. "Quite correct, thank you Dennis" smiled Cogsworth, "Now if you please would watch me…"

The class continued so, with the professor showing them the firm wrist flicks and exaggerated pronunciation that was necessary to succesfully complete the spells. Soon the lesson had ended with her promise to let them actually transfigure something the following day.

This lead to the scramble for the door as Miranda and her friends found themselves caught in the rush to get to their History of Magic classroom. It was amidst this madness that the girl caught a glimpse of Albus and Rose making their way down the hall, "Albus! Rose! Wait for me!" she shouted and hurried to catch up to them whilst pulling her Ravenclaw companions along. "How are you?" asked Albus as she pulled up alongside them. "Oh, splendid" she replied with a grin, "I'd like you to meet my friends: Lis, Belinda and Erika". It turned out that Lis and Albus already knew each other, as their parents were good friends, but the new acquaintances soon hit it off.

They arrived at the next lesson arranging themselves together so as to be able to continue the conversation until the teacher came. They continued so, until startled they realised that their professor was already there. He was a ghost!

"Hush now hush! I'm Professor Binns and this is History of Magic" the lecturer began with a wheeze. "I trust you all have brought your books. Good, good. Now please open at page 5, you there with the red hair begin to read." The first-years thus struggled through their first of the tedious drones that were the ghostly teacher's specialty. Somehow Lis managed to stay awake enough to get particularly good notes, which she offered to lend to the rest.

Miranda's excitement from the morning was wearing thin as they walked to their final class of the day: Defence Against the Dark Arts. "My dad told me that when he studied they had a different teacher every year" commented Albus as they made their way, "but Professor Link has been teaching it the last few years. He and my dad are friends, in fact he may come to teach sometimes!" he added happily. "Your dad?" asked Miranda confused, "why would he come to teach?". "Don't you know?" ventured Erika as the rest of the group turned to the girl. "Know what?" Miranda said, cheeks turning red, "His dad's one of the most famous wizards around!" exclaimed Belinda, "he killed Voldemort!". This only added to Miranda's confusion, but she tried not to show her befuddlement. "Lord Voldemort was a very dark and powerful wizard some time ago. My dad was 17 when he had to fight against him, Hogwarts was almost destroyed actually" explained Albus kindly, "He's an Auror now, so sometimes he likes to come and help out with the lessons".

With that the group arrived at the classroom, skirting around the dragon skeleton that perched in the corner. "Congratulations, you are now going to begin to learn how to defend yourself against all manner of things" commented the gangly man who had introduced himself as Professor Link. "As I'm sure you all know, not all wizards are good just as not all creatures are warm and fuzzy in the world we live in. For this reason we shall practice what must be done if we ever encounter such a thing" he continued, "Now, Mr Potter, what spell must one utter if one comes face to face with a boggart?" he asked nodding at Albus. "Riddikulus, of course" answered the boy confidently. "Quite so quite so. Five points to Gryffindor!" beamed the teacher. "Miss Weasley, could you tell me what is needed to defend against a Dementor?", "A Patronus, sir" said the redhead.

Miranda gazed in awe as both calmly replied to the many questions put forth, half of which sounded like gibberish to her! Startled she then noticed that the boy across the way was fashioning some sort of paper plane, she soon realised it was no ordinary thing, as it sparkled with a reddish light. Her surprise soon passed to annoyance as looking up he noticed her stare, winking at her as he tossed his shaggy blonde hair to release his creation. _Boom, crack!_, the room echoed as the magicked paper exploded. "Everybody out! Except you Kendrick, you've got some explaining to do" cried out the professor, thus ending the class.

Miranda fumed as she mulled over the fact that the stupid boy had ruined their first truly good lesson of the day.


	9. Chapter 9: Snitches and Bludgers

**Hello everyone! Alright I'm sorry if you're getting kind of sick of the sort of intro chapters, I swear the drama is coming. In the meantime, please read and review!**

**Disclaimer: If you've read about it in those seven Harry Potter books it isn't mine, it's JK Rowling's (sadly)**

**Chapter 9: Snitches and Bludgers**

The months flew by, the orange and yellow leaves were spiralling on their descent as they fell from the trees and that wonderful time came: Quidditch season was starting!

Miranda had been given a crash-course in the most popular wizarding sport, thanks to the enthusiasm of her new friends, who had been awed when they realised that Albus' mum had been one of the players on the team they idolised. Once he'd let that slip out hardly a day passed by that they didn't ask if he knew one player or another, and if he could get their autograph.

Having never even seen a flying broomstick until their first flying lesson, Miranda was fascinated by the concept of the complicated game and was eagerly looking forward to the first match: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Thanks to her friends in the Gryffindor house she had no problem swearing allegiance to them, especially when she got to meet the charismatic James Potter, who had been given the position of Seeker that year.

It was a blustery day when the four Ravenclaw friends made their way down to the pitch, claiming a spot in one of the front rows of bleachers. Erika had had the foresight to bring a pair of binoculars, which the girls passed amongst them while keeping an eye on the game.

Gryffindor had just scored, just asserting their superiority on the field when James started his spectacular whirl in pursuit of the speedy golden ball. Soon the Slytherin seeker caught up, with both vying for the capture of their prize. Miranda watched awestruck as James stretched his hand out for the Snitch… and missed. The winged ball got away and the game continued.

"10 points for Slytherin thanks to Parkinson, what an elegant shot!" cried out the Hufflepuff commentator "That brings us to equal scores for the teams, let's see who catches that Snitch now!" he pointed out. The pressure on the Seekers was on as once again they flew into a free-fall chasing the elusive golden bullet. Again her eyes tried to follow the fast flying pair until at last, James caught the Snitch! Then a whirlwind of cheering and exclamations and boos from Slytherin took over the field as the game ended and the Gryffindors ran to congratulate their team.

It wasn't until that night that Miranda got a chance to see her Gryffindor friends and congratulate them, laughing at Albus' proudly beaming face. "I'm going to be playing next year, just wait!" cried out Rose "My mum will kill me but dad would love it" she finished with a grin. "In that case you're going to have some stiff competition, Belinda is dead set on joining too" piped up Erika, "How about you Miranda? Any burning desire to play?" asked Lis, "I'd love to try a game but I'm not so sure about joining the team" she replied, reminding everyone that she had only known about its existence for a short while. "That's right!" shouted Albus, "You've never played! Well that's settled then, I'll ask James to lend me his broomstick and we'll teach you." Miranda smiled gratefully at her friend, "You don't know what you're getting into. I'll probably be terrible!" she warned.

A couple days passed as the proposed informal Quidditch game was discussed at length during Potions and on the way to and from lessons, even attracting the attention of a few first-years from other houses who couldn't wait until they could try out for the team the next year.

In the end that Saturday they ended up having quite a turn-out of students, who having begged off broomsticks from the older students, arranged small teams to play, although of course with no Snitch in play they were forced to resort to a timed game. Miranda teamed up with Albus who had promised to teach her how to play, although unfortunately their other teammate ended up being the prankster Kendrick she had encountered on her first day.

"Come on Mir! You've got this!" shouted out Albus in encouragement as she tried to manoeuvre her way to the rings, Quaffle in hand. "Ha! You're never going to get past me!" teased Kendrick flitting about the hoops in his role as Keeper, "I'm just too good!" he boasted. Miranda's temper flared as the blonde boy's arrogance got under her skin. _Whoosh, Clink!_ The hoop chimed as her expertly-placed shot swooped through. "Who's laughing now?" she cheered amused at Kendrick's wide-eyed expression of surprise. "Well done, Miranda. We'll make a Quidditch player out of you yet!" shouted her friends from below.

"Next time we're bringing out the Bludgers, you won't be so good then I bet!" cried Kendrick, trying to soothe his wounded pride.


	10. Chapter 10: Hallowe'en Revelations

**I sort of wish it was October, just so this would actually be seasonally appropriate, sadly cannot be. I always loved the description of Halloween at Hogwarts, so here's a little chapter that features it.**

**Disclaimer: The world in which Albus Dumbledore exists is one I'd like to have, sadly it all belongs to JK Rowling. **

**Chapter 10: Hallowe'en Revelations**

The morning of one of the most celebrated holidays in the witching world Miranda woke up to Aoife's incessant meowing. "Turn that off!" grumbled Belinda half-dazed from under her covers, "It's not time for class yet!". Grudgingly Miranda left the warmth of her bedspread to attend to the spotted creature. "What is it girl? Why are you meowing?" It didn't matter, nothing she could do would calm the usually peaceful cat.

Aoife continued her one-sided conversation until Miranda and the rest of the girls were all up and dressed, and made it impossible for them to leave her behind. In the end they relented and made their way to the Great Hall's breakfast with the cat coming along. It was fairly out of the ordinary for students to be accompanied by their pets, particularly when they were of the feline variety, so the witches-in-training had to endure a fair amount of pointing and snickering as they settled down to eat.

Miranda was just finishing off her bread with butter when Erika cried out "Oh, look. Mail's here!" just as the owls dropped their daily packages of rolled newspapers and letters. What was most surprising was that Miranda got a letter of her own. "Who's that for M?" asked Lis, "Should I pass it along?", "No, wait. It's for me" said Miranda as she tore the envelope open, trying to remember why the handwriting scrawled on it seemed so familiar. "Oh! It's from Gregor!" she exclaimed, "Who?" wondered her friends, unfamiliar with the name. "It's my old penpal. We've been sending letters for years. I hadn't sent him any since coming here until last week when I finally managed to figure out how to get things to the Muggle post" the girl explained, "I wonder how he got it here?" she mused, as she started to read the letter.

"Have you heard?" interrupted Stuart, one of their Ravenclaw classmates, as he sat down next to the four "There's a killer on the loose!" he finished with relish. "What are you going on about?" returned Lis, fork half-raised, "Look here! It says it on the front page!" the boy replied, brandishing the day's Daily Prophet. "The Ministry of Magic asks for witches and wizards to remain at their most alert" read Belinda, "for it appears that a most sinister wizard is on the loose. Three young women from towns in close proximity have been found dead from the Killing Curse, known as one of the three Unforgivable Curses. The motives behind these anonymous attacks are as yet unknown, as is regrettably the identity of the killer." "Isn't it thrilling?" beamed one of the students nearby, "it's like a real live novel!" she continued. "I don't think that's quite how I'd put it" commented Erika blandly, "I think it's terrible. Imagine how those poor girl's families must feel!" declared Lis, hazel eyes flashing. Her point was accentuated by Aoife's anguished yowl.

That day, classes had a much more festive ambience. Professor Cogsworth had adapted her lesson plan to fit the occasion, asking her students to transfigure ordinary jack-o-lanterns and increase their size exponentially. Their Potions lesson consisted in brewing Pompion potion, which caused great amusement when Kendrick was the unfortunate chosen to try it out, later having to continue to their next lesson with an inflated pumpkin head. Their last subject of the day was Defence against the Dark Arts, in which they began to learn the art of Wizard duelling. Although only fairly harmless curses were permitted, Miranda was saved from a few uncomfortable after-effects by Aoife's meowed warning whenever she didn't pay enough attention to Albus, her partner for the exercise.

The students were finally let out and Miranda took advantage to go and read the letter she had been prevented from finishing that morning:

_Dear Miranda,_

_It was great to get a letter from you again! I'm glad you are enjoying life at your new school. You may be wondering how I knew to send you this by owl. You see my mother is a witch too, although I didn't inherit her magical powers. When you told me you were now studying at Hogwarts I knew it was a wizarding school, much easier too, I'm not very fond of Muggle post. _

_There isn't much to report, but I would love to hear more about your friends and classes. Do you really know Harry Potter's son?_

_Hope to hear from you soon!_

_Gregor_

Miranda finished reading the message, surprised to learn this about her old friend. They had shared a great deal throughout the years of their communication and she had never even suspected his knowledge of this whole world. Though to be fair, she hadn't even known of its existence until a few months before. It prompted her to wonder, what other secrets did her penpal hide?

Her musings were soon forgotten as she was swept up in the preparation for the annual Hallowe'en banquet. The feast had taken a more formal turn over the years, requiring the girls to dress the part in clothes slightly more becoming than their usual robes, but of course causing great deal of strain amongst the first-years who didn't know what to expect.

In the end, the party went off without a hitch. The magically enlarged pumpkins floated above their heads while the students filled their bellies with culinary and confectionary delights. There was much laughing at the grimaces pulled when given an unfortunate flavour of Bertie Bott's Beans or when a Chocolate Frog managed to leap away. That night Miranda slipped into bed with dreams of caramel apples and sugared treats, although an unsettling feeling drifted in the back of her mind.


	11. Chapter 11: Hidden History

**First off, just wanted to say that most of the info below is from the Pottermore wiki, though I added a few touches to serve my own purposes. This is one of my favourite chapters to be honest. As always, please review!**

**Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter is unfortunately not one I own, but instead is JK Rowling's.**

**Chapter 11: Hidden History**

The next few months flew by and soon it was time for the winter term exams. The Ravenclaws hoped to fulfil their house's stellar academic reputation, spending many hours with their noses buried in textbooks. Belinda and Erika seemed most affected by the stress-filled atmosphere, resulting in a half a dozen spats over the weeks. As a result, Miranda spent the majority of her time in the library, perusing the stacks during her study-breaks.

One particularly gruelling afternoon, which she had spent trying to remember the many dates required for the following day's History of Magic test, she found a grimy book titled "Hogwarts Houses. A Brief History of their Founders." Ever curious about the four famed wizards who had opened her beloved school, the girl pulled down the tome and opened its dusty pages.

Over the course of the next few days she entertained herself with the wealth of information found within, discovering the answers to many of the questions she had had about the founders, but had not wished to ask so as not to emphasize her Muggle status. Finally she reached the chapter she had most looked forward to, related to the life of her own house's namesake.

_Rowena Ravenclaw was born in the tenth century in the glens of Scotland. Although it is unknown how she acquired a wand, it is surmised that she purchased it from the Ollivander family or else made it herself. She became good friends with Helga Hufflepuff when both worked against the bubonic plague that affected the Muggles of the town of Hogstagnum. After meeting Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, the four united in the common goal of creating the world's best magic school, building the Castle in which Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be later established in 993. _

_Ravenclaw was fundamental in the choosing of the name and location of the school, after having dreamt that a warty hog lead her to a cliff by a lake. The ever-changing floor plan was also her contribution. Although Ravenclaw was a witch of great repute, who chose her students according to their intelligence and wisdom, and who had a long and fruitful career she was not so fortunate in her personal life. _

_She bore a child, Helena, to an unknown father having never been married. Unluckily her daughter, jealous of her mother's famed intellect stole her diadem, which was reputed to enhance the wisdom of the wearer and ran away with it. While her daughter remained secluded and without revealing her betrayal to anyone, Rowena fell fatally ill. In a desperate attempt at reconciliation she sent the Baron in pursuit of her daughter. This man was hopelessly in love with Helena, although his advances had thus far been spurned, and eventually managed to find the younger woman. However, the girl's refusal to return with him caused him to fly into a rage and stab her, though his overwhelming guilt also caused him to take his own life. The news of her daughter's untimely death reputedly caused the demise of the mother, who is said to have died of a broken heart. _

_The tragic story was also the cause for the loss of one of the greatest wizarding bloodlines in history, as the House of Ravenclaw (shield pictured below) perished with no known descendants alive today. _

With a start Miranda stared at the crest pictured on the page, a silhouetted raven in flight surrounded by a peculiar three-cornered knot. She ran her fingers across the page as she unclasped the necklace she always wore and looked at the silver pendant. The resemblance was unmistakable! She could identify the blackfeathered bird and the knot, although her pendant also included an additional element: a sprig of rosemary carried in the raven's beak. Intrigued Miranda gazed at the two, wondering what the reason was. The pendant had been a gift from her mother the previous year, passed down from her grandmother. Miranda decided she would mention the coincidence in her next letter home.


	12. Chapter 12: The Come and Go Room

**This is the best room I swear, I love the things that pop up when you're wandering around Hogwarts. Let me know if you like it!**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is property of JK Rowling, much as I wish I could steal it. **

**Chapter 12: The Come and Go Room**

Midterms were over and the Great Hall gradually emptied as students left for their Christmas break. Miranda had originally assumed she would be returning home for the holidays, but her parents had decided it was time for a second honeymoon, had left Mirabella with friends and told Miranda that they would see her on her next break. This meant that she would be staying at Hogwarts while all her friends visited their families.

Originally she had thought it would be lonely, but she discovered that it was quite fun to wander the halls with no one around. Meals were taken at the head table, so she had the chance to meet the headmistress as well as the few other students who were staying at the castle. "So Miranda, are you pleased with your stay at Hogwarts so far?" asked the headmistress, gazing at the girl with those stern blue eyes. "Oh yes! It's wonderful!" she exclaimed wondering how McGonagall knew who she was, "I take a special interest in all our scholarship students" clarified the professor, as if reading her bewilderment, "It was my initiative so I always try and make sure everything goes smoothly." Miranda smiled, once again feeling grateful for her unknown benefactor, at that moment she realised that this was the very woman who would know their identity. "Excuse me ma'am, but who is responsible for paying my school fees? I don't know how to repay them for it, but I would love to thank them somehow" she explained, "I thought you knew!" uttered the headmistress, "you're such good friends with Albus and Rose. Didn't you know it's the Potters who pay your fees? In fact, they've told me to ask you if you'd like to join them for dinner on Christmas Eve." Miranda stared at the woman, until finally she regained her speech, excitedly accepting the invitation although resolving to find some way to thank Albus' parents for their generosity.

The next day while the girl meandered around the school she mulled over what she could do for Albus' family, both as thanks for the invitation and for her scholarship. Albus and Rose had talked a fair amount about the Potters, so although Miranda knew a fair amount about her benefactors she couldn't think of anything appropriate. Finally she settled on something that utilised her magical powers, powers she would not even have if it weren't for them. She had come across a particularly interesting book in the library during the holidays and had thought of a potion that she was sure would be useful for them. The only problem was that the potions classroom was closed, so how was she going to brew it?

In despair Miranda continued to walk through the corridors, Aoife at her side, when suddenly the cat shot off, making it necessary for her to chase after the feline. She was out of breath when she finally managed to catch up with the creature, which sat staring at an empty expanse of wall on the seventh floor. Miranda looked around, trying to figure out why Aoife had led her there, but aside from the odd looking tapestry on the opposite wall there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary.

Resigned, she went back pacing and trying to figure out how to create her gift for the Potters, when out of nowhere a door appeared where Aoife had been looking. Bewildered Miranda looked around again, certain the door had not been there previously, when she had confirmed that she had not suddenly been transported somewhere else her curiosity won out. Cautiously she stretched out her arm and pushed the door open.

The room she walked into looked curiously like the Potions dungeons, with an assortment of labelled ingredients on a shelf to the left and a table with various instruments, as well as a cauldron and a curiously battered book. She wondered at her luck, here was the solution to her problem! Slowly she made her way to the desk and glanced down at the book. "_Advanced Potion Making_" she read, and then flipped the cover open. This was the same as the book she had found in the library, except for the scrawled ink claiming it as property of the "Half-Blood Prince", intrigued the girl flipped through the book until she found the instructions she had been hoping to try, these were heavily annotated with comments such as "Press don't chop for better effect" next to step 3: _Chop up anemone-like growth on the back of Murtlap._

Still reeling from her good fortune she set to work, carefully following the written steps until she finally managed to achieve a liquid that resembled molten gold, except for the droplets that soared at intervals from the surface. She looked around for a vial to contain the potion and found one by her left elbow; with great care she filtered the liquid in and stoppered it. Beaming at her success and at finally having something good enough to give the Potters, she walked to the door.

She glanced back at the curious room that had appeared when she most needed it, "Thank you so much" she said aloud, feeling slightly silly but as if the room acknowledged her thanks. Miranda joined Aoife, who had remained outside and returned to her common room, excited at the prospect of the following day.

The next morning she got up with a smile on her face at the thought that today was the day before Christmas. The holidays had always been her favourite time of year, and though she had been dreading the prospect of spending it alone she had been greatly rewarded. The hours seemed to drag by as she waited for the time when Albus' family came to get her. At last the headmistress came for her. "Come along now" she instructed, "Follow me please." Obediently the girl walked beside the imposing woman as they made their way up to an office hidden by a stone gargoyle.

Once they reached the interesting circular room the girl was immediately greeted by a flash of bright green flames in the fireplace and watched amazed as a dishevelled looking man stepped out. "Professor, how nice to see you!" he smiled, "Honestly Potter, I think it's high time you called me by name" replied the headmistress, "Oh that would feel most odd. It would make me feel old!" responded the man with the flashing green eyes before turning his attention to Miranda.

"You must be Miss Jones. Albus and Rose have talked nonstop about you" he stated "I feel like I know you already, but let me introduce myself. I'm Albus and James' dad, Harry." Miranda gazed up at the cheerful man before finally replying "Pleased to meet you sir. I don't know how I can ever thank you for everything." Harry grinned bashfully, "Well it's nothing. You really ought to thank Ginny and the Professor here for that. Now, shall we get going? I know at least two people who are very excited you're coming." Miranda took the offered arm and with a brisk step forward the two soon disappeared.


	13. Chapter 13: A Very Potter Christmas

**I'm kind of bummed, feel like not too many people are reading this. The story is finished though, so I'd love to know what you are all thinking! Anyway, enjoy a glimpse at some of our old favourite people ;)**

**Disclaimer: The magic of Harry Potter is regrettably not mine, but JK Rowling's.**

**Chapter 13: A Very Potter Christmas**

"Happy Christmas Miranda!" cried out everyone as Harry and Miranda stepped into the very crowded sitting room. Everyone really was everyone, the girl tried to take in the great assortment of redheads that stood in front of her, when she suddenly saw two smaller figures pushing their way towards her; "Albus, Rose, Happy Christmas!" she smiled as her two friends reached her. "Miranda! It's so great to see you! I'm so glad you got to come for dinner!" they claimed in unison, their excitement clear on their faces, "Here let's introduce you to everybody!" they finished, taking her hands and dragging her to the younger group that huddled in the corner.

"Everybody. I'd like you to meet Miranda" said Albus when they reached the rest, "Miranda here's everybody. You know James, and those are my cousins Fred, Dominique and Victoire. The guy hugging Victoire is Teddy Lupin, he's her boyfriend but always spends Christmas with us" he explained pointing out the older group. "Over here are Dominique, Louis, Lucy and Roxanne" he continued, as the group that sat on the filled couch looked over at the newcomer, "And this is my sister Lily and my cousin Hugo" he finished, pushing forward the two youngsters with the flame-coloured hair. "Hi everybody!" greeted Miranda, trying to keep all the new names straight.

"Right, who's coming out to play Quidditch?" said the adult by the door brandishing a fair army of broomsticks. The air filled with shouts of "Coming Uncle Ron!" and "Me, me Dad!" as the kids all sprung up in pursuit of the man, Rose pulled Miranda along with her, "Come on M! Before all the good brooms are gone!" The rather large teams were sorted out, the necessary hoops conjured up and the whole family whooped and cried as they flew around playing the lively game. Miranda's team was winning when someone shouted from the doorway; "Dinnertime!" and the group flew down in order to satiate their now rumbling tummies.

Miranda ended up being seated near Albus and Rose, who had asked to be close to their friend, though Rose's mum sat next to her. "So how are you dear?" she asked, passing the creamy mashed potatoes to the girl "Are you enjoying your time at Hogwarts?" "Oh yes!" replied the girl, "it's a wonderful place. Really interesting." "I heard you're in Ravenclaw. I almost got sorted their myself" the curly haired woman reminisced, "I seem to remember you needed to answer riddles to get in. Is that still so?"

"That's right. It's quite fun, sometimes several of us get stuck trying to answer one. Ravenclaw is great!" said Miranda proudly, "In fact I was just reading about Rowena Ravenclaw recently" she continued, "I came across a really interesting book in the library about the founders. The thing is I saw this crest in her book which looks just my pendant, but I can't seem to find it anywhere else!" she confided. "Like your pendant? May I see it?" requested Hermione, curious as ever, as the younger girl unclasped her necklace to pass it to her. "Hmm, how odd…" she said, peering at the silver medallion, "I've seen the Ravenclaw shield before. But what is that the raven is carrying there?" she mused. "My mother said it was rosemary" explained Miranda, "but she had no idea why Ravenclaw would be connected to it. She said it had been in her family forever, and she'd never heard the name Ravenclaw until I got sorted there." "Rosemary? Well, it's always stood for remembrance" said the witch, "I wonder why your pendant has it. I can look into it if you like" she offered, "That would be great!" agreed Miranda happily, proceeding to eat her delicious dinner and chatting with the Weasleys and Potters.

After dinner everybody felt too full to do much, except for Lily and Hugo who continued to race around the room in anticipation of the following morning, "Santa's coming! Santa's coming" they shrieked, until finally their mothers said it was time for bed or Santa wouldn't come for his annual visit. At that point everybody spread out across the sitting room, with the adults sitting and chatting around the table and the younger generation comfortable on the sofa and armchairs that were near the fire. "Who wants to play Wizard's Chess?" asked Rose after her dad had called it quits on their last game, "Is it any different to normal chess?" asked Miranda, confused by how that could be, "You've never played? Goody come on!" convinced her friend. They settled down with the board between them and Miranda soon saw just why the game was known as "Wizard's" chess, nevertheless the normal rules still applied and her highly logical mind was able to exert itself. Rose was a formidable opponent, but Miranda finally managed to slip by her watchful eye, "Checkmate!" she let out triumphantly. "Wow, you're really good!" said Rose, "I bet you could even beat my dad!" "Why? Is he very good?" asked Miranda, "He's the best! In fact he once got fifty points because of it!""How?" "Let me tell you…"

Soon the adults popped by and, hearing the story the young girl was telling her friend, chimed in with all their various anecdotes about their life at Hogwarts. Miranda was fascinated and the rest of the night flew by as she heard about magical mirrors and hippogriffs and all sorts of crazy things. It was right as Harry was telling the story of how he tricked Ron into playing an amazing match of Quidditch with a potion that the girl remembered the gift she had brought. "Oh! That just reminded me" she exclaimed reaching into her pockets, "I made this for you, as a thanks for dinner and for my scholarship" she gave the bottle to Harry but indicated Ginny as well. "A Felix Felicis?" asked Hermione in surprise when she saw the potion that Harry had opened, "how did you ever manage to do that? It's sixth year Potions level at least!" "Is it? I didn't know, I found the instructions at the library and thought it would be very useful", "Believe me it is" said Albus' mum kindly, "Thank you very much for the gift, but really it was no trouble at all to have you come celebrate with us. As for your scholarship we're just glad we gave it to such a clearly deserving girl" she finished.

Miranda's night finished just as wonderfully as the evening had begun. Back in Hogwarts she climbed into bed with the happy thought that the next morning was Christmas, she was in what had become her favourite place in the world and she had found good friends. What could possibly go wrong?


	14. Chapter 14: Hagrid's Hut

**I have to say, I can't believe I took this long before finally taking you all here, welcome to Hagrid's!**

**Disclaimer: The wizarding world as we see it here is the work of a certain JK Rowling, much as I wish it were mine.**

**Chapter 14: Hagrid's Hut**

"Hey M! Do you want to come visit Hagrid?" asked Rose, popping her head into the Ravenclaw common room, where Miranda was studying. "Sure, let me just leave my things in my room" replied the girl, rushing upstairs. As they made their way to the doors Miranda suddenly realised something, "Hey, Rose. How did you get in the Ravenclaw room?" "Oh, it was easy! You guys should really think about having a password like everyone else, the riddles aren't all that difficult to solve" said Rose with a shrug and a smile. The two girls met Albus at the start of the path and picked their way down the hill to the small hut by the pumpkin patch.

"Albus! Girls! Good to see yer, come in!" beamed Hagrid when he spotted the three students who had knocked at his door, busily putting some tea on to boil and pulling out some rock cakes for them to grimace over. "So, what's new with all yer?" asked the large man once he had finally settled down, "How're classes?" "They're great Uncle Hagrid!" began Albus, "I finally managed to transfigure the rat" he announced proudly, "Knew yer would" answered the caretaker with a grin, "Yer as smart as yer father an' he's a great wizard."

They were already on their second cup of tea, and millionth offer of those jawbreaker cakes, when the conversation took a more sinister turn. "Uncle Hagrid, have you heard anything of that killer? He was all over the Daily Prophet at first but now they hardly ever say anything about it" asked Rose with a meditative air, "Yer know I reckon tis the Ministry's doings. I remember when yer father said Lord Voldemort was back, the way the' tried to deny it!" he reminisced, "Though Kingsley's been doing a mighty fine job til now." Not satisfied with the answer the redheaded girl persisted, "You don't think we're safe then?" "Well I dunno bout that, all I know is that yer dad and yer uncle told me to keep an eye bout me, specially when it came to watching you!" Rose gathered she wasn't going to get anything more out of the bearded man and dropped the subject, until they left at least.

"You don't suppose it's nearby right?" she asked Miranda as they returned to the castle, "I mean, for Uncle Harry and Dad to warn Uncle Hagrid…" "It's odd alright" replied the Ravenclaw girl, "but I'm sure they'd tell us if there was anything wrong. Besides you've always said Hogwarts was one of the safest places anywhere" she reminded Rose. Silently they kept walking, Albus trailing behind as he kept a look out for any interesting bugs, since Hagrid had asked him to get some for the creatures he was taking care of. At the owlery Miranda bade the two cousins goodbye, climbing up the staircase covered in owl droppings. At the top she crept over to the nook with that had her name on it, happily retrieving the thick envelope that waited inside.

_Dear Miranda_ she read,

_I hope you're as well as always, though I fear something must be wrong. It's been so long since I heard from you! I have to say I'm glad we're talking by owl now, my parents have decided to go on a trip so owls reach me much better than ordinary Muggle post. What was Christmas with the Potters like? They're one of the most famous families there are! Did you get to see the scar? Is it really lightning shaped?_

_Please write soon, I hope you haven't forgotten your old friend!_

_Gregor_

Miranda felt terrible, it was true she had been neglecting her penpal terribly now that classes had started again. She vowed to write as often as she used to, new friends were no excuse to forget her old one!

Lessons continued on as usual, Kendrick forever pulling stupid pranks and mocking Miranda mercilessly. Thankfully she had her friends to distract her from the Gryffindor boy, who due to the upcoming Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor game had now started to rib against her house. "Just ignore him Mir" advised Lis, as they worked on their Hair-Raising Draft, "he's just nervous our team is going to wipe theirs on the floor" "Hey, hey! We're not a bad team!" piped up Albus, incapable of resisting the jab at his house's honour, "I'm sure everybody will play as well as they can" he finished, trying to keep the peace between the friends, as well as get the potion to bubble just the right colour of green.

The next day the four girls joined the rest of their house in the bright blue and metallic stripes their team had on. They cheered enthusiastically as the Ravenclaws mounted their broomsticks and shot off at the sound of the whistle. "Ten points for Gryffindor with an excellent shot by Johnson!" cried out the commentator, as Miranda kept an eye on her team. It had taken her a little time, but thanks to a couple more friendly matches she had finally managed to get a handle on how Quidditch was played, as well as the usual strategies, though that was more because of Albus' enthusiasm for the game and a lengthy conversation on the subject with his mother.

She recognised the Ravenclaw captain's logic, who had clearly told his Chasers and Beaters to keep an eye on James, the Gryffindor seeker was notorious for his speed, and even though the girl supported her team she still hoped the elder Potter boy didn't get hurt, he had been friendly to her after all.

The Ravenclaws managed to edge out a lead with a perfectly coordinated team play; right at that moment Miranda glimpsed a golden streak out of the corner of her eye. "The Seekers are head to head as they both fly in pursuit of the Snitch!" announced the commentator, "Potter reaches out, he's almost got… he's off his broom! The Ravenclaw seeker has got the ball, Ravenclaw wins!"

Miranda gaped in horror amidst the cheering blue explosion that surrounded her as she watched the lone figure in red that lay at the bottom of the stadium.


	15. Chapter 15: Talking Pictures

**Chapter 15: Talking Pictures**

"Albus! Albus!" Miranda cried out, seeing her dark-haired friend down the hall, "How are you? How is James? I talked to Rose and she said she thought he was alright but I haven't heard anything else and I hadn't seen you and I was worried…" she babbled. "Miranda! Calm down, he's fine. He woke up this morning but Madame Pomfrey says he needs to stay for a few days and I'm not allowed to visit him until tomorrow" the boy explained, his face betraying his sadness. "Oh that's good! Well, not great but I'm glad he's alright" said Miranda, before attempting to cheer up the boy. She matched stride with him as he made his way down the corridor, "do you want to come play Gobstones with me? Lis and Erika were playing" she asked, "Sure, let's go!" he replied as they set off.

The Ravenclaw girls had finally succeeded at wiping the morose expression off Albus' face when they realised how late it was, and they had assignments due for the following day! The students rushed off towards their common rooms, but in their haste accidentally exited the staircase at the wrong spot. "Oh, great! Just when we're in such a hurry too!" exclaimed Erika in frustration, "what way do we go now?" "I think I know where we are, follow me" said Lis, who had her mother's uncanny ability to understand just how Hogwart's ever changing floor-plan worked. They set off behind her, as she made her way down the hallway to the left. Miranda glanced around, trying to see if she recognised anything that might let her know where exactly she was in the castle. All of a sudden something caught her eye.

The girl fell back, stepping closer to the wall on which there was a familiar shield. "Mir, what's up? Why did you suddenly stop?" asked Albus, who had apparently noticed when she had stayed behind. "Look at that! Do you know what it is?" she asked instead of answering his question, still inspecting the brick that had such curious masonry. "It's the Ravenclaw family crest, isn't it?" said Albus after peering at what she had pointed out, "what's so interesting about it?" "Well, it isn't exactly the crest. See how this bit is wrong way round? Plus can't you see the raven has something that isn't usually there? In fact, it's just like this!" she finished, pointing out the similarities between her pendant and the mark on the wall. "How odd! Why on earth do you have a necklace with the Ravenclaw shield?" inquired the boy, "I don't know. I found it in a book round Christmas, and I asked your aunt Hermione but she couldn't suggest any explanation. I've kept looking but haven't found it anywhere else" clarified Miranda. Right at that moment they heard a shout from the end of the corridor, "Albus, Miranda! What are you doing? Let's go!" shouted out Belinda, "We have Potions homework, and I need your help!" "Let's come back later. Meet me at the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower at eleven" said Albus, "I want to know what this means." The two young wizards rushed off to join their anxious friends.

That night, Miranda went to join the younger Potter boy with trepidation, what if they got caught out of bed? They could lose many House points! Out of nowhere she felt a tap on her shoulder and she stared in awe as Albus appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "Where did you get that? What is it?" she finally managed to ask, "It's my Dad's old invisibility cape. He lent it to me for Christmas" grinned Albus, "now come on. I do want to get some sleep you know!" he finished.

The two students managed to wend their way back to where they had been standing earlier that afternoon. Dropping the cloak off her shoulders, Miranda stepped up towards the marking, running her fingers over the wall. All at once she noticed a small indentation lay below the crest that had originally caught her eye, surprised she knelt down to take a closer look. "What is it? What did you find?" asked her companion hurriedly, "I'm not sure. I wonder if this would work…" she trailed off. Lost in thought she unclasped her necklace and pressed the pendant into the small gap she had found, as they watched there was a sudden loud click.

The two jumped back in surprise as they watched the bricks slowly seem to fade away, before leaving a door sized hole in what had been a completely solid wall moments before. Miranda glanced back at Albus before squaring her shoulders and stepping inside, the unresolved mystery plagued her. Once she had passed through the entrance, she gazed around her in amazement.

They were standing on a dais in front of an enormous room, filled with bookshelves and display cases. They were all laid out in a circular manner, in the middle of which stood a large round table. Slowly the girl stepped down to the main level and walked towards the table, looking around at the wonders that lay on the shelves and cases that surrounded her. Wordlessly, Albus watched as she arrived at the massive wooden structure, smoothing her hand over the symbol carved in the middle, a triple knot that resembled that of her necklace and Ravenclaw crest. "What is this place?" she finally breathed, voice barely higher than a whisper. "I don't know. But I have an idea of who might" replied the boy mysteriously.

As the pair exited the room they saw how the bricks seemed to reappear as if nothing had ever been altered, as they rushed towards the central gallery of staircases. Miranda carefully climbed behind Albus as he resolutely led her up the stairs and into one of the hallways before he stood in front of an old portrait that hung on the wall. "Miranda, this is Rowena Ravenclaw" he explained as he carefully knocked on the gilt frame, "Ma'am, ma'am. Please wake up, I'd like to ask you something!" he said, raising the elegant figure that dozed in the picture from her slumber. "What is it child? Isn't it rather late for you to be about?" she asked crossly, "Well yes, but you see it was urgent. Go on Miranda show her" he beckoned. "I wanted to know if you recognised this," the girl asked, bringing the silver pendant that circled her neck into the light. The gowned figure stared at the bauble and let out an ear-splitting scream.


	16. Chapter 16: Origins

**Chapter 16: Origins**

Miranda and Albus slapped their hands over their ears, in a futile attempt to block out the blood-curdling shriek of the figure in the portrait they stood in front of. At last she quieted down, though unluckily for the two students, out of bed during light's out, it was only due to the arrival of a certain stern lady. "What in the world is happening? What have you two done?" asked McGonagall when she spotted the pair, "What are you doing wandering the castle at this ungodly hour?" she finished as she crossed her arms and stared down at them. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I had to ask, I don't know why she was screaming" said Miranda bewildered, "What are you talking about? Ask her what?" replied the headmistress, no less confused than before. "I just showed her this!" said the girl, holding out the pendant and showing it to the professor. "Curious, follow me" said the woman, sweeping her skirts out behind her as she turned.

Albus and Miranda shared a surprised glance as they followed McGonagall, who walked briskly down the corridors until reaching the gargoyle that hid her office. Oddly, "Whisker" seemed to be the password, which Miranda mulled over as they made their way up. "Now, come here Miranda. Please show your necklace to this gentleman here" ordered the headmistress, indicating the picture of a bespectacled man with a long and flowing white beard. Cautiously, the young girl neared and once again brought her pendant forward into the light. "Interesting, very interesting" murmured the man in the picture, "Is that what made Rowena scream?" he asked McGonagall, who stood behind Miranda. "Yes. Do you know why? I've certainly no idea…" she replied, ignoring the students' inquisitive stares, "Well, yes. I believe I can make a good guess. Though part of it you shall have to confirm with Rowena herself."

Miranda could no longer bear not knowing what was happening, "Excuse me sir. What is it? You see it opened that room and so Albus and I were curious. Why is my necklace so special?" she blurted out. "Of course, let me explain young lady. You see, on your necklace is the Ravenclaw family crest", "Yes, I knew that, I saw it in that book, although mine has that rosemary…", "I see you've been doing your research" said the figure, bemused "The rosemary stands for remembrance, and was quite an ordinary symbol when a wizard was no longer allowed to perform magic. There is an old story that says that Rowena Ravenclaw was in fact one in a pair of twins, and yet the twin has never been definitely known of, scholars have always supposed that meant that either she was Squib or married into a non-magical bloodline. Of course it's simply conjecture, but I would say your necklace most likely comes from there. I believe I am not mistaken when I tell you: it seems that Ravenclaw blood flows through your veins. The blood of Rowena Ravenclaw's twin, to be precise."

The girl stared at the bearded man as he dropped this bombshell, "You mean… I'm a Ravenclaw? I'm the founder of my house's family?" she managed to get out, "but my whole family is Muggle! This necklace has been passed down in my family forever, but no one else does magic!" "Ah, most likely there was a generational tamping spell, so as to avoid detection. It's been so long that its effect must have faded when you were born, that would be how Hogwarts detected your magical abilities", "My mother has magic? Why not my sister?", "Well the spells can only hold for so many births in a bloodline, your sister must have been the last one under its influence." Miranda tried to take in the information, though she was soon cut off from her thoughts. "That is certainly more than enough excitement for tonight. Don't forget you were in the corridors at night, detention for the pair of you. Off to sleep now and I'll give you the details in the morning" said McGonagall as she rushed the two off to their beds.

Once left alone, she turned back to the portrait. "Do you really think so Albus? That means she might be the girl", she said with a worried frown, "I'll call Potter, and let him know. If that is so his protégée is in a lot of danger. Thank goodness our scholarship program worked!"


	17. Chapter 17: Detention

**Only a few chapters left! Sorry about the spontaneous posting recently, the story is finished I've just been distracted. That said I've just started working on the second story, I hope you'll be inclined to read it when it comes. First have to finish this one though! As always, let me know what you think please!**

**Disclaimer: It is JK Rowling (alas not I) who is the owner of Harry Potter and his world. **

**Chapter 17: Detention**

The sun streaming into the room the following morning was a rude wake up call, as both Albus and Miranda rose bleary eyed after their night adventures. Lis, Erika and Belinda had slept soundly though, and unaware of their friends nocturnal wandering, proceeded to energetically walk down to the Great Hall. Lis was the first to notice how tired Miranda looked, "Hey M, what's wrong? Didn't you sleep alright?" she asked her friend kindly. "I hardly slept a wink, you see I've got something pretty amazing to tell you" the blue-eyed girl replied with a yawn, as she started to tell the tale of what she and Albus had found out.

"But that's insane!" shouted Belinda, once Miranda had finished the story, "you found a secret room? You're a Ravenclaw by blood?" she asked, voicing her surprise. "Apparently, I still want to go back to the room, and actually look around though" commented Miranda, "Do you want to come with me?" she inquired glancing around at her friends, who all nodded in assent. Right at that moment, a shadow loomed over their table. "Miranda Jones? Your detention is tonight, seven o'clock at the gamekeeper's hut" said the caretaker with a sneering grin. Miranda gulped, worried about what lay in store for her that evening.

Class hours trickled by. Albus, Miranda and the other girls filled Rose in on the events, and though the redhead looked disapprovingly at her cousin for breaking the rules, she agreed with the rest that it seemed too unbelievable. They also all tried to think of what their detention could be like, but as it was such an unusual occurrence they couldn't come up with anything other than the old stories their parents had told them of when they had been at Hogwarts. At last the clock chimed seven and Albus and Miranda stood outside Hagrid's door, watching the sun setting behind the hill.

"Hullo, yer two!" greeted Hagrid when he spotted them, "can't say yer parents are gonna be too glad yer in trouble, but I'm glad fer the company!" Albus gulped, he hadn't even thought of the fact that his family was going to know. His grandmother was never too happy when he broke the rules; for all that she'd had some of the most troublemaking children in the history of the school. "What are we going to do Hagrid?" asked Miranda, "We're going looking fer toadstools, the Potions professor needs some and they're only out now. Plus I'm one of the best at finding them" he explained proudly. Needless to say the children were relieved, they had pictured a far worse experience as detention, though the prospect of going into the Forbidden Forest was not a very good one.

Once Hagrid had gathered up all his supplies, and handed out the sacks they were to fill, the three of them set off, the gamekeeper's dog close behind. "Claw here's the best at finding these, after his pa Fang of course" remarked Hagrid, nodding at the large canine, which had already set off with his nose close to the ground. "Right-o, we're gonna split up now, hopefully we'll be a bit faster this way," he said once they were deep enough into the forest, "One of yer with me and one with Claw." It was promptly decided that Albus would stay with Hagrid and Miranda would go with Claw, they were shown how to shine some sparks in case anything happened and the girl and the dog walked off.

Miranda walked with her hand buried in Claw's thick fur, grateful for his comforting warmth. The tree's dark shadows lay just outside the light of her torch as she shone it on the ground in search of toadstools. Claw picked up on a scent and bolted to the right, causing the girl to lose her balance and fall in her efforts to catch up with him. Hands appeared out of nowhere to help her up, making her jump back in fright.

"Careful human, you shouldn't get hurt tonight" warned a deep voice, seeming to belong to the centaur that had joined her. She stared at the strong chest and jaw, and roan horse's body that they were attached to. "Who are you?" she asked, too surprised to be polite, "The ravens are stirring" was his cryptic response, before finally answering her actual question, "my name is Algernon." He continued his previous line of thought, "the ravens are stirring. The shadows come and you must choose night or day." With this comment he cantered off, not before shouting back to her, "Claw has found toadstools for you!" Miranda, not quite sure how he knew what they had been doing, and who Claw was, caught up with the dog, who sure enough had found a thicket with enough mushrooms to fill her entire sack.

"You won't believe what happened to me" she told Albus when they all met up at the end of their detention, "I met a centaur!" "A centaur!" he exclaimed, "I've never met one, but Dad's always said they were fascinating, he was friends with one once I think. What was he like?" "Odd" Miranda said, "he kept talking about ravens and shadows", "Huh, I wonder why." I wonder too, thought Miranda as she returned to her common room, the black birds seemed to be popping up everywhere.

The following day brought her a nice surprise. "A letter from Greg!" she smiled as that day's mail arrived, feeding the owl a small nibble before he flew off to rest at the owlery. "What's it say?" asked her friends, who had all been filled in on who her penpal was, "Not much" said Miranda, skimming the letter, "he says he's coming to visit!" "Visit? How?" remarked Erika, "we're not allowed to leave the castle, not until the Hogsmeade visits at least", "He says he has to see me. Wants to know if there's anywhere I could meet him" replied Miranda, "I suppose if Albus lends me his cloak, I could meet him by the forest." "Are you crazy? You'll get into so much trouble!" said Belinda, "I'd like a shot at the House Cup you know!"

Miranda had made up her mind though, she would meet Gregor by the forest in a week. _I just have to meet you, I'll be near there in a week. If you value our friendship at all, you'll do everything to see me, _he had written. "I wonder why now?" she thought to herself, it was a good thing she had had that detention; she knew the forest now!


	18. Chapter 18: Forest Master

**I was planning on waiting a bit before updating, but I'm all excited about this and couldn't wait to see what you think!**

**Like I always say, please review!**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter, his friends, his family and his enemies are the work of JK Rowling, I'm just adding in some of my own.**

**Chapter 18: Forest Master**

The week passed swiftly, and soon it was the day she was going to meet her old penpal. Her friends had tried to change her mind, but to no avail. At last Albus had been left with no other option but to lend her his precious cloak, on the condition she'd let him come with her.

She had no choice except to agree, though she was only going to go with him to Hagrid's. Gregor had specifically said he was slightly jealous of Albus, so she thought it was best the boy not be with her when they met.

That night she dressed warmly, before meeting Albus by the entrance to her common room, he had tried unsuccessfully to answer the riddle locking the door. Try as she might the girl had not managed to get rid of Aoife, who after having been roaming the castle the last few weeks had suddenly shown up that morning. "Come on sweetie, stay here, it's so nice and warm" she cajoled, but the cat just stared back at her unblinking. Miranda gave up.

They reached Hagrid's quickly, brisk in their effort to stay warm. Miranda and Albus parted ways, not before he tried once more to convince her to let him come along. "I've got Aoife," she reminded him, "she'll protect me." "She's just a cat" he protested, but felt better in spite of himself. Girl and feline walked down to the edge of the trees, reaching the clearing Miranda had told Greg about in her letters. Right when they arrived they were greeted by a boisterous laugh.

"Miranda? Is it really you? I can't believe it!" said the figure, as he came into the light, "I've wanted to meet you for so long!" Miranda watched the tall guy in front of her pull down his hood, revealing gaunt cheekbones and shockingly dark hair. "It's so perfect. I'm so glad you came. Master will be so pleased" he continued, unaware of her hesitance, "Yes, he will be so happy. I knew you wouldn't let me down. You're Eve!" Miranda couldn't hold it in any longer, "I'm Eve? Master? How old are you?" This time her hostility was apparent. "Oh, I'll tell you all about the Master. He's so happy we're going to be his Adam and Eve, we're going to be start of everything he says. When he told me what he wanted, and you told me about Hogwarts I just knew it was perfect. You're perfect!" Gregor tried to explain, coming closer.

Miranda stepped back, but it was pointless. They were surrounded by trees! How had she thought it was a good idea to meet in the forest? Her old pen friend was nothing like she had expected, and she hardly could understand what he was saying now. "Alright, the cat will have to stay of course, but I'll get you everything you need. The Master is very generous, he'll make sure everything is well. You'll love him just as much as I do, just as much as I love you" this was all said as he edged ever closer. "What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere with you!" she screamed. His face hardened, "Yes you are. You came tonight, you love me too. You don't know what you're saying." The smiling gangly fellow was gone.

The girl realized she was heading into trouble, and tried to figure a way out of the situation. She was trapped by the thick tree trunk that stood behind her. Mind reeling through all the spells she knew, she kept talking: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry you're right. You just surprised me. Why didn't you tell me we were leaving tonight? I would have brought more with me!" Gregor beamed, happy to see she was seeing sense at last. "I knew I was right! You're so wonderful Miranda. I've known ever since you sent me that first letter. The Master knew too, he knew you were perfect for me. That's why he helped me find you!" Miranda tried to assimilate this new information; her favourite teacher was his Master? Maybe Gregor wasn't crazy.

With a shake she came to her senses. He was at least seventeen and she was only eleven! Besides, where had he got the idea she loved him? She tried fruitlessly to think of some plan to escape. "I'm sorry you didn't bring everything you need. But don't worry, we'll find everything for you. The Master will help. Now let's go!"

He reached for her, and she would have sworn she could hear her heart galloping as she screamed "Stupefy!"pointed her wand and brought up the branch she had hidden behind her back, fighting against his weight. All at once, everything went black.


	19. Chapter 19: Shadow Man

**Hi everybody! Sorry I've taken a while to update, life got in the way, but here is the second to last chapter (!) As always hope you enjoy and please review :)**

**Disclaimer: HP and Co are property of a certain JK Rowling (regrettably for me)**

**Chapter 19: Shadow Man**

When Miranda woke up everything was white. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a small streak of blue. "Miranda? Are you awake?" said a familiar voice. She peered up and saw Albus' dad standing next to her bed. "Where am I?" she croaked, throat dry and unused. Her encounter with Gregor came rushing back and she tried to sit up, though she was soon carefully pushed down. "Whoa there, don't worry. Miss Pomfrey will kill me if I upset you!" warned the Auror, "Surprisingly I think she scares me even more than her mother did. And that's saying something. As to your question, you're in the infirmary." "What happened?" Miranda asked, now that her memory had returned, "What happened to Gregor? He wanted to…take me".

"Ah yes, that matter. Well, to be frank we don't quite know. By the time I got there, Algernon had already saved you and your friend was knocked out. We asked but centaurs are never very, well, forthcoming." "But how did you know where to go?" the girl asked, disgruntled at not understanding. "You're lucky you've got such a smart cat! I guess when you seemed to be in trouble, she ran back to Albus. He called me and told me what was going on. He seemed terrified something had happened to you" explained Harry, "Algernon was watching you, you must have fainted, though you were gripping an extremely large branch. It was quite difficult to take it away from you to be honest."

Miranda didn't seem quite content with this explanation; something still didn't make any sense. "Why do you think Gregor came? He kept saying I was his Eve." "Right that matter. Well Miranda, do you know who the Shadow Man is?" "He's what they call the serial killer in the Daily Prophet right?" she asked, knowing the term seemed familiar. "That's right. Well, we think it's likely that Gregor is the Shadow Man. He must have been looking for you, before you sent him that letter of where you were. From what we've been able to see he always looked for girls who matched your description. Though your case is the first time he had established contact so long beforehand. Fortunately, Algernon must have arrived before he was able to cast the Killing Curse. Don't worry about him though, he's locked up in Azkaban" Mr Potter finished. "Now, onto bigger and brighter things. I know of several people who think I've been in here more than long enough. Come on in!" he shouted, grinning as Miranda's friends rushed in.

When Miranda was finally better, exams and final projects were due, though luckily she was able to negotiate more time for most of them. Time seemed to pass slowly, but at long last everything was done and she was walking with her friends, discussing once again what had happened that night. "You know what's weird? Your dad says Greg was the Shadow Man, but he kept talking about his Master," said Miranda, walking alongside Albus. "I just don't understand, isn't the Shadow Man supposed to be working alone?" "Maybe he has a split personality," offered the boy, "I've heard it's very common in serial killers. Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde!" "Maybe," she answered, "by the way. Thank you for calling your dad. Also, would you like to come with me later? I want to thank Algernon, but I definitely don't want to go to the forest alone."

That afternoon Miranda, Albus and the rest of their friends all paid Hagrid a visit, since the Ravenclaw girls were frustrated they still hadn't been able to meet the gamekeeper the other three constantly talked about. Albus and Miranda took advantage to go and try to find the roan centaur, although Hagrid warned them "Centaurs are wild sort yer know, they're not going to come when yer call just like that."

As a result, the pair was surprised when they spotted the precise centaur they wished to visit waiting for them at the edge of the woods. "The ravens are stirring. I knew you would fly by" he greeted, "Hello Algernon. I just wanted to thank you for helping me" said Miranda shyly, as Albus stared at the half-horse half-man, "I don't know why you did. But I don't know what would have happened if you didn't" she ended. "Ravenclaws are wise. Centaurs are wiser but we appreciate your wisdom. Your founder's twin was always kind to us, but we knew we would be able to pay her favour back one day. Our debt is paid now" explained the centaur, "be warned. Your choice has been made. You cannot return it now" he finished, as cryptic as the first time they had met. "I must go now", with that he turned tail and ran deep into the forest, as the two young wizards stared into the trees. "Dad was right," remarked Albus wryly as they joined the rest of the group, "they really aren't very forthcoming."


	20. Chapter 20: End of Term

**Chapter 20: End of Term**

"Come on, let's go! We can't be late!" shouted Belinda as the girls ran down the corridors. It was the last night of term and the feast was about to begin. Out of breath they managed to reach the Great Hall just when the last students were passing through the great wooden doors. "Good evening students" announced the headmistress, as the girls hurriedly took their seats at the Ravenclaw table. "Another term has passed. How the years fly by! Now, before we begin our last meal together for this school year, I'd like to make a few announcements." Miranda and Lis shared a glance; they were going to find out who had won the House Cup!

"Firstly, some of you may know of the criminal the Ministry has been searching for, he is believed to have been found and is now in a secure cell in Azkaban. The person who is to thank for that is one of our own, so I would like to award Miss Miranda Jones with sixty points for Ravenclaw, going to help a friend is kind but knowing how to avoid one who becomes an enemy is wise." Miranda blushed as she ducked her head in an effort to avoid the students' stares. "Forty points are also to be awarded to Gryffindor, for a certain Albus Potter, who knew what to do in order to help a friend in need" continued McGonagall, "it's good to see at least one Potter is giving and not just taking points this year" she muttered, making James guffaw and tousle his brother's hair.

"Now, I'm sure you're all quite anxious to see what these extra points mean. In fact, the new sum now means. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tie for the House Cup!" The two houses burst into applause and excited cheering, although confused mutterings soon inundated the hall: there had never been a draw before. The complaints were promptly forgotten, thanks to the appearance of the luscious food, and the room filled with the excited voices of students enjoying the prospect of the holidays.

The next morning's bustle paralleled Miranda's initial impression of the school, as the students piled their belongings into the various compartments of the Hogwarts Express. Miranda and her friends all squeezed together, looking forward to the class free months ahead. "I've already ordered my books for next year" said Erika, "I can't wait to take Herbology!" Her friends all looked at her and laughed, "I'm excited too Erika. But first I want to be lazy!" grinned Belinda, "I need to start practicing if I want to be on the Quidditch team next year!" Their conversation continued in that vein until the train reached London.

They parted ways with large hugs and promises of letters as they gathered their belongings. Miranda looked around curiously, until she spotted her family standing by the barrier, launching herself into her father's embrace.

"It's good to be back!" smiled the girl when they reached her childhood home. She sunk back into her pillows, happy to have returned to her cloud blue bedroom. With a start she realised she wasn't alone, Mirabella stood by the door. "Sure about that?" her sister smirked, red sparks flashing from her fingertips.

**Aaaaand it's over! Gasp! It's not actually, book two is in the works :) I hope you enjoyed it, and please I'd love to get your comments and suggestions, this is my first long fanfic so I'd really appreciate knowing what I'm doing wrong (and right!) in your eyes. I've got some pretty exciting things planned for book 2 (if I do say so myself...) so keep on a lookout for "Miranda Jones and the Soror Magia", hopefully I'll begin posting it by the end of this month! At the moment life is kind of crazy since I'm stuck in my uni midterms, but I'll get to it. **

**Lots of love to my dear readers, **

**Cego**


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